Chapter 311 - Viers the Negotiator (Patreon)

Viers followed the glowing lights on the cave walls, guided by the master of the Dungeon. Along the winding way, he hadn't seen a single monster or other residents.

After some time, he finally reached the end. In the room, he’d found a familiar face.

The Orc Warchief? So the mysterious attack on Ebon Wall City is related to this Dungeon.

The Warchief did not speak or looked like someone in charge. He was standing protectively beside a thing.

A cradle.

“Well met, stranger. I’m sorry about my appearance.”

A deformed baby spoke straight into his mind.

“Nice to meet you. Don't worry about it, I don't judge a book by its cover. I suspect we’re both strangers in a foreign land. We should help each other out. Are you the dungeon master?”

“I am.”

“And this place is your creation?”

“Yes.”

“Where do you come from?”

“My memory is mostly blank. I only recall bits and pieces. I lived in a place where iron birds fly and metal beasts with people in their bellies. A place where the night is as bright as day and people stay in stone houses bigger than the tallest trees.”

“This place-” it hesitated. “-is different from that place, right?”

“Yes. I know of such a place. If I’m not wrong, that is a place called Earth.”

“Earth…”

“Does it jog your memory? Do you remember anything new?”

“No, not at all.”

“Do you meet someone or something before you awake in your current form? A god or some such?”

“I don't think so.”

Viers put on a thinking pose. “Do you have a System?”

“System?”

“Mechanical voices in your head or writings that appeared suddenly. Showing you information about this and that. Perhaps even giving you objectives to accomplish. Sounds familiar?”

“...Yes. I have it.”

Bingo, Viers though. The second System holder after Sigma.

“...Um.”

Viers was silent for a while until the child-like voice brought him back from the space of thought.

“Sorry. Just organizing my thoughts after the big infodump.”

“You seem familiar with all of this.”

“A little,” Viers said. “I just read a lot of books. Sorry for questioning you like that. It’s your turn now. What do you want to know?”

“What kind of world is outside?”

“A dangerous one. More uncivilized, and there’s magic here. Although,” Viers looked at the burly orc nearby. “You should have realized that already.”

“...What? Oh, Tarrok is my creation. He protects me.”

“Creation?” Viers raised an eyebrow. “How? Using the system?”

“Uh-huh.”

“I see… Oh, sorry for interrupting. Please continue. What do you want to know?”

“Then…”

The baby asked Viers about various things. Mainly about the world outside. The baby also asked about Viers. He answered what he didn't mind and dodged the rest. Viers also asked more things about the baby.

The Q&A session lasted for hours. All the while the orc didn't move an inch. The green skin was like a statue of flesh.

“What should I call you?” The baby asked Viers.

“Guess I haven't introduced myself, eh? Too much excitement, I’m afraid. Apologies. I am Tanael. Greetings, fellow Earthling. And what should I call you?”

“Tanael… Nice name. I don't remember mine.”

“Truly? How about you create a new one then? It’ll be inconvenient to not have a name.”

“Hmm, I’ll think about it. Wheew… We’ve talked a lot, haven't we? What now?”

“Well, our first objective is to clear your objective first. You need to kill people, right? Either they die in the dungeon or your created creature kills them counts.”

“Yes. The System, as you called it, issued it regularly. I have to hit the quota or it will penalize me. I killed a lot earlier so I should be fine for the time being but next time…”

“Will be harder,” Viers nodded. “If you asked me, that attack on the city was an awfully crude strategy.”

“Well excuse me,” the baby sounded a bit offended. “In case you haven't noticed, there are very few people around here. The few people that I lead inside are very insufficient.”

“...Killing humans is not apprehensive to you?” Viers’ tone turned serious. “Aren't you a human yourself?”

“I’m no longer human, aren’t I? I don't plan to genocide a county or anything but I’ll do what I must to survive. If I have to kill a few people every month, then so be it.”

“Interesting…”

“To me, you’re the odd one,” the baby said.

“How so?”

“I told you that I’m a man-eating dungeon and you didn't even flinch. Hell, you even accept my outlandish explanation about bending space and creating goblins out of thin air as if it was normal. I might not have memories of my past but I’m sure that’s not normal. You are not normal.”

“Sanity is overrated,” Viers didn't even bother to deny. “I guess you can order your creation to fulfill your quota but your spawn location is really too poor. Let’s see… How about-”

Viers gave several suggestions to the other otherworder, along with their pros and cons.

“That. I like that plan,” the baby said to Viers’ fourth option.

“But it is quite risky. We can't control the spread. Some powerful people might take notice,” Viers said.

“About the Level 4s and Level 5s, while it might be bad if they managed to get inside, I believe I won't be a problem if I tweak the dungeon so they cannot go in. Even if they do, they won't find me.”

Viers let out an impressed whistle. “You’re able to do that? Impressive.”

“I have things I have to do. I don't plan on dying again.”

So he died, eh? Was it a slip or something else?

“This thing you want to do, is it returning to Earth? Back to your family and friends?”

“No. Why do you think that?”

“Uhh,” Viers was genuinely taken aback by the baby’s indifference. “Cause it’s the norm? A lot of people in our circumstances want to go back to Earth. Sometimes, at whatever the cost.”

Viers thought of his Fables, his collection of fiction stories from Earth.

“Hmmm… Good for them. Are there a lot of Earthlings like us in this world?”

“I honestly don't know.”

Gods, I hope not.

“You don't want to go back?” the baby asked.

“I like this side much better.”

“...We’re of the same mind.”

After a few seconds of comfortable silence, Viers opened his mouth again.

“Back on topic. For the plan to work, you need to make delving into the dungeon a lucrative affair. You need to give them things to loot.”

“So things like this then? The System indicates these things have a high value.”

Around the room appeared gold coins, jewels, mana crystals, enchanted items, valuable monster parts, natural treasures, and so on.

“...You can create these at will?” Viers said with a little tremor in his voice.

“Of course not. I just moved them from the storage room. I gathered them from various places. Mostly the raw materials then I create something else. The System also has quests that reward me with useful doodads if I complete them.”

“I see… The System is really convenient.”

“Hmmm, so you don't have one.”

“To my regret, no. I’m not born with one. This amount would do for the time being. If we’re smart about it, this can lure in a lot of people. However, it’s still a bit lackluster. It would be much better if you have something unique that can't be found anywhere else.”

“I think I have that too.”

“...Right,” Viers controlled himself to not let out a snort of disdain. “Let’s not show all the good stuff right from the start to these dungeon robbers. I can smooth things out on the matters of the surface while you deal with the dungeon side.”

“I’m sensing a ‘but’, Tanael.”

“But,” Viers stressed. “I want a cut of the pie.”

“And here I thought you’re a good samaritan. But it’s fair to be compensated for one’s work. You can take whatever you want from the pile.”

“Oh, I’m not after these things. Wealth is good but I’m not lacking in wealth myself. Bling-bling don't interest me as much. I’m after something more substantial, something more hard to get. The thing that ‘can't be found anywhere else’ you talked about sounds interesting. Mind if I take a look?”

“...Fine.”

One of the walls in the room was erased and revealed another space. Viers didn't think it was an illusion. The dungeon core changed the dungeon’s layout, manipulated space, as easily as turning one’s hand.

Viers saw a white, dead tree. The ten meters tall shriveled trunk was half-assimilated with a creature. The creature was like a blue humanoid with six arms, two pairs of legs, and sixteen long tentacles on its back. The creature’s head and half of its torso seemed to have merged with the white tree.

From a hole in the creature’s chest, glimmering red powders fell continuously. The room was filled with it. The macabre tree and creature seemed to be an island among the sea of red powder.

Viers was filled with an intense desire to dive into that pool of red and gobbled everything up. His body was screaming to do so.

“I found them deep underground. What happened to them was lost in time. The tree and the creature are useless, but the red powders that came from it are not. The System specifies them as Nutra. The color of the name when I identified them is rarer than anything else I have. Their main effect is to increase lifespan and ease Pathseeker training considerably? At any rate, they are useless for me so if you help me, I can spare a barrel every-”

A sound of serious clash resounded.

Viers’ fastest attack, Cut the Crap Arte, was blocked by the baby’s barrier. The grinding of the katana and the immaterial shield produced bright crackles of energy.

“Finally showed your true colors, have you?” the baby’s cold voice resounded in Viers’ head. “What, you think I was born yesterday? You think I would reveal this much about myself if I don't have complete assurance of my safety?”

“Hmph,” Viers snorted. “I suppose you’re not an idiot.”

On the tree were several wilted flowers. Like the tree, they were already dead but their form remained.

Viers recognized those flowers because he had a live one inside his Intio.

The flower that Aletro of the Book World informed him was named the Everlife Goldbloom Flower.